MiscellaneousComparison of Intima-Media Thickness of the Carotid Artery and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Adults With Versus Without the Down Syndrome
Section snippets
Methods
We used a cross-sectional, descriptive, comparative study design to determine whether the IMT of adults with DS differed from that of adults without DS and to determine the relation between IMT and known CVD risk factors in adults with DS. Fifty-two adults with DS with mild to moderate MR aged 35 to 60 years participated in the study. Participants were recruited through each county's office of developmental disabilities services and area Arc offices of 1 midwestern state. Because of the
Results
The mean IMT of adults with DS was significantly lower than the mean IMT of the matched control group (Table 2). There were no differences in the cholesterol profiles, except that adults with DS had higher triglycerides than controls, while CRP and total body fat were also higher for adults with DS compared to the matched control group (Table 2). Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were significantly lower in adults with DS compared to the matched control group (Table 2). The adults with DS
Discussion
Similar to previous autopsy studies, the IMT of community-residing adults with DS was significantly lower than that of the age-, gender-, and race-matched control group of adults without DS.1, 2, 3 The IMT findings suggest that adults with DS who reside in community settings may continue to be protected against developing atherosclerosis. It is remarkable that adults with DS in the present study had reduced IMT despite possessing significantly higher triglycerides, CRP values, and total body
Acknowledgment
We would like to thank the participants and care providers for their participation and assistance in the research project. We would also like to thank Eric Williamson, MEd, for his assistance in coordinating the recruitment and assessment of the participants.
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Cited by (0)
This research was funded by the American Heart Association, Dallas, Texas, and supported in part by grant M01-RR00400 from the National Center for Research Resources, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.